Food

Dirt Cheap Eats 2008: Honey Pig

Honey Pig (7220-C Columbia Pike, Annandale; 703-256-5229). At this high-energy, 24-hour Korean barbecue parlor, Korean pop tunes and the sizzle of meat are the backdrop to the conversational hum. Waitresses in black T-shirts get the tabletop grills going—ask them to throw on some kimchee, a specialty here. Then wrap thin slices of lean beef bul goki ($12.99) or beautifully charred pork belly ($12.99) in lettuce leaves with a bit of rice and a spill of sauce; we like the sesame version that comes with the pork.

Though the selection of small dishes known as panchan (included with the barbecue) isn’t as varied as at other spots, portions are generous and the spicy pickled okra and cold mashed-potato salad are especially good. Korean beer and soju—a distilled, vodkalike beverage—are the drinks of choice. A classic seafood pancake studded with scallions ($6.99) and an unconventional bibim bap ($6.99), in which lettuce fills in for seaweed, are nicely done, too. Open daily for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

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Ann Limpert
Executive Food Editor/Critic

Ann Limpert joined Washingtonian in late 2003. She was previously an editorial assistant at Entertainment Weekly and a cook in New York restaurant kitchens, and she is a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education. She lives in Petworth.